Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, May 4, 2012

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, May 4, 2012
Start: 2012-05-04T16:42
End: 2012-05-04T17:40
Location: Oklahoma

May 4, 2012 · NWS OUN · 9 events in 2 counties and zones

A large supercell thunderstorm developed near a dry line that was located over western Oklahoma, and extended south into north Texas. Very large, damaging hail was reported, with many vehicles and buildings sustaining window damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $2,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 4, 1:50 PM CST, 2 hours 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 1:50 PM CST, 2 hours 52 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
250 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

.DISCUSSION...
THE DRYLINE IS HOVERING AROUND THE 100TH MERIDIAN THIS
AFTERNOON...AND SHOULD MOVE A LITTLE FARTHER EAST BEFORE STOPPING
AROUND SUNSET. STRONG INSTABILITY IS PRESENT EAST OF THE
DRYLINE...AND SATELLITE ALREADY SHOWS SOME NEW CONVECTION
DEVELOPING IN THE CLEAR AREA SOUTHWEST OF THE CONVECTIVE
CLOUDINESS FROM EARLIER AND CURRENT STORMS. SHORT-TERM MODELS ARE
IN REASONABLY GOOD AGREEMENT THAT STORMS WILL BE MOST LIKELY FROM
NEAR WICHITA FALLS TO AROUND ARDMORE AND DUNCAN THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. AS NOTED IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...THESE STORMS
MAY BE SEVERE.

TOMORROW LOOKS MUCH LIKE TODAY...ALTHOUGH PERHAPS WITHOUT THE
LARGE AREA OF CLOUDINESS THAT PREVENTED MUCH OF OUR FORECAST AREA
FROM WARMING TO NEAR/ABOVE RECORD LEVELS.

THE MAIN CHANGES IN THIS FORECAST ARE FOR SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.
MODELS HAVE GREATLY SLOWED THE COLD FRONT...AND THE SLOWER
SOLUTIONS SEEM REASONABLE...GIVEN THE FORECAST FLOW ALOFT.
SO...THIS FORECAST INCLUDES A SLOWED FRONTAL POSITION...AND THE
RELATED ADJUSTMENTS TO TEMPERATURES...DEW POINTS...WINDS...ETC.

BEYOND MONDAY...IT APPEARS THAT HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROBABLY
DOMINATE THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS WEATHER...ALTHOUGH THIS
IS VERY MUCH SUBJECT TO CHANGE. MODELS LATELY HAVE HAD A TENDENCY
OCCASIONALLY TO PUSH COLD FRONTS TOO FAR SOUTH...AND IF THIS IS
THE CASE HERE...THE WEEK AHEAD COULD BE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN
CURRENTLY EXPECTED.

THE GFS BUILDS QUITE A STORM SYSTEM TO OUR WEST LATE NEXT WEEK.
THE GFS ENSEMBLE SEEMS TO LED A LOT OF SUPPORT TO THIS
SCENARIO...BUT ITS MAIN EFFECTS WILL BE JUST BEYOND THE END OF THE
CURRENT 7-DAY FORECAST PERIOD.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK  71  94  70  89 /  10  10  10  10
HOBART OK         67  97  67  90 /  10  10  10  10
WICHITA FALLS TX  72  97  72  93 /  20  10  10  10
GAGE OK           57  95  61  87 /  10  10  10  10
PONCA CITY OK     72  89  70  84 /  10  10  10  10
DURANT OK         71  89  70  87 /  20  10  10  10

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.
&&

22/23

Hazardous weather outlook, May 4, 11:09 AM CST, 5 hours 33 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1209 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-051715-
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-
NOBLE-ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-
BECKHAM-WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-
CLEVELAND-POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-
TILLMAN-COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-
JEFFERSON-CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-
FOARD-WILBARGER-WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
1209 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE TODAY AND
EARLY TONIGHT IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH
TEXAS.

LOCATION...
THE SLIGHT RISK IS SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM SEYMOUR AND
WICHITA FALLS TEXAS...TO DUNCAN...PURCELL...AND HOLDENVILLE IN
OKLAHOMA.

TIMING...
THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM 4 PM
THROUGH 10 PM.

IMPACTS...
DAMAGING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF TENNIS BALLS.
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS...
STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD PLAN FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

DISCUSSION...
AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE THUNDERSTORMS
WITHIN THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE RISK AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.
THESE INITIAL STORMS WILL BE ROOTED AT MID LEVELS...WHERE
INSTABILITY IS WEAK...BUT HIGH CLOUD BASES WILL ALLOW FOR STRONG
WIND GUSTS.

DURING THE PEAK HEATING HOURS THIS AFTERNOON...STORMS MAY DEVELOP
NEAR THE LEADING EDGE OF THE INITIAL ACTIVITY...AND BECOME BASED
IN THE LOW LEVELS...WHERE INSTABILITY IS VERY STRONG. IF THIS
OCCURS...THUNDERSTORMS MAY QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE OVER SOUTHERN AND
SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA. MEANWHILE...A DRYLINE WILL BECOME
ESTABLISHED BACK TOWARD THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE SLIGHT RISK AREA.
ADDITIONAL SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE DRYLINE...
ESPECIALLY IN WESTERN NORTH TEXAS...WHERE RECOVERY OF WARM
TEMPERATURES IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THE WAKE OF THE EARLY DAY
CLOUD COVER.

IF STORMS DO OCCUR...THE COMBINATION OF INSTABILITY AND WIND
SHEAR WILL FAVOR SEVERE STORMS...INCLUDING SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING BOTH DAMAGING HAIL SIZES AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS. THE TORNADO RISK IS LOW...BUT ONE COULD OCCUR IF A STORM
REMAINS ISOLATED AND IS ABLE TO MOVE EAST TOWARD GREATER MOISTURE
AND LOWER CLOUD BASES.

AGAIN OVERNIGHT...STRONG AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS MAY
OCCUR TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND COLLAPSING
THUNDERSTORMS.

PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT SATURDAY MAY 5.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
              NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...60 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...70 PERCENT.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.
THIS WILL BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY TO SOUTHERN AND
EASTERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. SOME OF THESE STORMS
MAY BECOME STRONG...PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.

THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED BY
5 AM SATURDAY.

MAXWELL/BURKE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 4, 2:30 PM CST, 2 hours 12 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
330 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

OKZ036-037-TXZ083-085-042115-
TILLMAN OK-JACKSON OK-WILBARGER TX-HARDEMAN TX-
330 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR TILLMAN...JACKSON...WILBARGER
AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM CDT...

AT 326 PM CDT...SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING IN A HOT AND DRY AIR
MASS. THESE SHOWERS WILL PRODUCE VERY LITTLE RAIN AT THE
GROUND...BUT WILL PRODUCE STRONG WINDS. THE STORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM OLUSTEE TO ODELL TO 6 MILES WEST OF
MEDICINE MOUND...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ALTUS...VERNON...FREDERICK...TIPTON...CHILLICOTHE...MEDICINE MOUND...
OLUSTEE...ELDORADO...DAVIDSON...DUKE...HEADRICK...ELMER...
FRIENDSHIP...HUMPHREYS...ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE...FARGO...ODELL...
OKLAUNION AND HESS.

LAT...LON 3447 9965 3470 9965 3471 9918 3434 9892
      3405 9912 3415 9981
TIME...MOT...LOC 2026Z 277DEG 31KT 3459 9949 3440 9943 3419 9970

BURKE

Special weather statement, May 4, 3:17 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
417 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

TXZ089-042145-
ARCHER TX-
417 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ARCHER COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM CDT...

AT 414 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES
NORTHEAST OF MEGARGEL...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ARCHER CITY AND LAKE KICKAPOO.

MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

LAT...LON 3340 9892 3360 9892 3377 9849 3341 9846
TIME...MOT...LOC 2114Z 252DEG 18KT 3352 9879

BURKE

Special weather statement, May 4, 4:16 PM CST, 26 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
516 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

OKZ037>039-044-045-TXZ086-090-042245-
COTTON OK-TILLMAN OK-JEFFERSON OK-STEPHENS OK-COMANCHE OK-WICHITA TX-
CLAY TX-
516 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COTTON...TILLMAN...
NORTHWESTERN JEFFERSON...WESTERN STEPHENS...SOUTH CENTRAL COMANCHE...
NORTHEASTERN WICHITA AND NORTH CENTRAL CLAY COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM
CDT...

AT 515 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LOVELAND...
MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER...
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WALTERS...TEMPLE...GRANDFIELD...GERONIMO...EMPIRE CITY...BYERS...
RANDLETT...CHATTANOOGA...HASTINGS...DEVOL...FAXON...HOLLISTER...
LOVELAND...COOKIETOWN...WAURIKA LAKE...CORUM...HULEN...TAYLOR AND
CHARLIE.

MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

LAT...LON 3420 9896 3421 9896 3420 9897 3420 9898
      3423 9898 3447 9897 3460 9797 3400 9802
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 274DEG 35KT 3434 9868

The radar

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Tillman

When: May 4, 4:42 PM CST
Where: Tillman County, Loveland
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.300, -98.770

Hail, Tillman

When: May 4, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Tillman County, Grandfield
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.230, -98.690

Thunderstorm Wind, Tillman

When: May 4, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Tillman County, 3 mi W of Grandfield
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.230, -98.743

Hail, Tillman

When: May 4, 5:03 PM CST
Where: Tillman County, Grandfield
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.230, -98.690

Damage occurred to numerous vehicles and homes in Grandfield. Monetary damage estimates were not available.

Hail, Tillman

When: May 4, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Tillman County, 5 mi ENE of Loveland
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.328, -98.689

Thunderstorm Wind, Tillman

When: May 4, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Tillman County, 2 mi W of Grandfield
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.230, -98.725

A couple power lines were downed.

Hail, Cotton

When: May 4, 5:23 PM CST
Where: Cotton County, 1 mi W of Randlett
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.180, -98.478

The hail was reported on Interstate 44 near the Randlett exit.

Hail, Cotton

When: May 4, 5:34 PM CST
Where: Cotton County, 5 mi SW of Randlett
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.129, -98.522

The hail was reported near I-44. Damage was reported to numerous cars in the parking lot of the casino.

Hail, Cotton

When: May 4, 5:40 PM CST
Where: Cotton County, 2 mi WNW of Randlett
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.191, -98.492

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, May 2012

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 370833, 370835, 370836, 370837, 370839, 370840, 370842, 370843, 370844.